Myanmar wins 2 golds on last day

ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, my wife and I were watching opening ceremony of 16th Asia Game held in Guangzhou, China. After impressive performance by hundreds of performer, the ceremony ended, as usual, by introducing each participating country to the attendance and each country come out with the fullest smiles and carried their national flag as wave as possible to draw people's attention.

It's first time for my wife and me to view our brand new national flag outside Myanmar to represent our country. Some powerful sport countries such as china, japan, south korea and even thailand and singapore are boasting their contingent when their turn come to upfront. I don't wonder to see big contingent on china, japan and south korea but I really impressed to see significantly big team from Thailang and Singapore. My wife and I were eagerly waiting for our very own country's team and end up with disappointed. WHY..? They come out only about 12 players including management team. It's pity for a country of over 60 million country when a 5-million Singapore is sending over 300 athletes.

Once Thailand's contingent come out, also over 300 athletes are coming together and the media highlighted the attendance of their Prime Minister's attendence. What a great encouragement for their team? Singapore sent the chairman of olympic council and DPM if I am not wrong to cheer their team. They continuously publish their team's ambition upon this Asia Game and they at some point set daring target to grab.

During the game, I keep reading the news of compitition and notice that the host country, China, is outperforming the rest countries of the Asia. They took 197, 117 & 98 on Gold, Silver and Bronze while their closest rival, second place, south korea took 75, 63 & 91 each. Meanwhile ambitious Singapore managed to bring back 4,7 & 6 home and I never found my country's result on the Medal tally table until final day.

It's surprise to see "Myanmar wins 2 golds on last day" on the web page of straits times news. I quickly read the news and understood that myanmar won 2 golds within 2 hours interval time of last day in Goungzhou. The gold came from Sepak takraw competition and one gold from men's competition against south korea (2:0) and another one came from women double competition against host country, china (2:1). What an amazing performance is it? I never ever hope to see my fellow country player will get gold medal from this asia game. But they did surprise to all including me of course. I am sure the super sport power countries both china and south korea will suffer from losing these gold medal to minnow country like Myanmar.

Since anything can happen in sport, we should appreciate and reward to these players who made our country proud in 16th Asia game with tremendous welcoming so that the junior can praise them and want to duplicate like them. Historically Myanmar had only won a gold medal from 1998 Bangkok Asia Game in Women Regu. So this success is very much to our country to boost our country's image. I sincerely hope the authorities will make this success as a stepping stone in improving our country's sport activities.

Today news paper published the Asian Games payout table issued by Singapore's Sport Council as follow:

Individual

Gold : $200,000 (2nd gold $70,000)

Silver : $100,000

Bronze : $50,000

Team event (total for team)

Gold : $320,000

Silver: $160,000

Bronze: $80,000

Singapore's gold medalist from 50m butterfly swimmer Tao Li lead top prize money makers table with $300,000 because she won gold individually and silver as a team. The country's media compose a song and honour to her and team Singapore through local media. What a great feeling to be known being backed by whole conutry? I think it's some area to improve in my country to improve our sport level among regional countries. We can't say the golden period of past and satisfy ourselves, we should try to see present situation and make necessary action to improve.

What a good driving force for a participating athlete? I am not sure if our country's sport ministry has similar rewarding system to boost player's moral in making country proud by doing their best effort. Unless we have previously, we should learn something good from Singapore's authority has done for its athletes.

I wish our players able to deserve the honour for what they had done for country's image among international communities as well as their own goodness.